Interchangeable links for chains and bracelets.



H. WOLCOTT.

INTERCHANGEABLE LINKS FOR CHAINS AND BRACELETS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21.1915.

Patented NOV. 2, 1915.

HENRY WOLCOTT, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

INTER-CHANGEABLELINKS- L OR CHAINS AND BRACELETS.

Application filed June 21, 1915. Serial No. 35,221.

' able tubular link sections, and hinge members for detachably connecting the sections, and having the structure arranged to form a plurality of link unitsof a chain or bracelet for ladies wear.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of one of the hollow link sections itself; Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the hinge member constructed to connect a pair of said hollow sections; Fig.

. 3 represents the blanks from which. the hinge is made before they are folded and jointed together; Fig. 4: is a side elevation of a complete link unit, viewed from its inner or reverse side; Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view, enlarged, taken on line 55 of Fig. 4;.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a plurality of the connected link units embodying my improvement, showing means for clasplng or interlocking the ends of the chain to produce a band or bracelet; and Fig. 7represents the end links when clasped together.

, In the construction of my improved chain,

the hollow section members a are each formed from a relatively short piece out from a length of seamless drawn tubular wire stock having a suitable cross-section. The ends of the section member are formed at right angles with its upper and lower edges, and provided on what may be called the inner or reverse face a" (Fig. 1) with alming apertures a each aperture adapted Specification ef Lettors Patent.

point.

PatentedNov.2,i915.

into the corresponding open ends ofjthe sec the latter. One of the blanks, 12 at the center of the hinge is flush with the upper and lower edges of the section member; the

end portions of the walls may be recessed or concaved (see 0", F 1g. 1) so as to permit thefolded blank 6 to swing freely. at that I The hinge blanks are formed with a central eyeor loop through which a connecting joint wire .6 extends, the metal being pressed snugly against the wire, thereby producinga fast joint; at the same'time the eye of the other folded blank or wing w permits the wire to swing freely therein, as in flexing. -Each of the flat wing members ofthe hinge is cut or incised through its inner leaf or fold to form a spring-like tongue 23, its free end, adjacent the. hinge eye, being bent outward at right angles and forming a short catch or lug m arranged to spring into the registering aperture a of the section, thereby locking the members together against accidental separation; the said catch does not project through the "wall of the section, consequently the wearer is not subjected to inconvenience or annoyance thereby. It will be seenthat the chain preact of inserting the respective wings into the ends of the sections causes the spring tongue thereof to be retracted until the lug or catch on registers with the corresponding aperture, at which instant] the catch automatically springs into-the aperture to hold the parts in the normally locked position.

I would state that in my present invention a complete unit consists of a pair of hollow sections or members a and an lntermedlate hinge element adapted to detachably connect the said sections together.

capable of being readily attached to or-detached from the chain, as desired. The outer or obverse surface 00 of each hollow section of the chain may be suitably ornamented or engraved, or the sections may bear the initials of the respective donors.

A's thus; con-2' structed, the units are interchangeable and I 7 may be provided with a self-locking catch,

, substantially as represented in Fig. 7, wherein the catch member 0 is jointed to the said member w of the normal hinge in lieu of the other member "L0 In this construction and arrangement the free end of the corresponding terminal link or hollow section A is adapted to receive the catch 0, the upper arm of the latter being resilient and provided with the pusher and locking projections h, 72,, respectively. The upper wall of the link A is provided with an open slot 8 to receive the pusher h, and is also provided with a hole f into which the locking lug h extends when the band is closed. The lug M is beveled to facilitate its entrance into the hole f. To unlock or unclasp the band downward pressure is applied to the pusher it.

1. An interchangeable link-unit for links of chains or bracelets and the like, said linkunit comprising a pair of main hollow section members formed of seamless drawn metal tube, the said section members being substantially uniform in character throughout, each hollow section having an opening in its Wall adapted to receive a catch or locking member, and a hinge element intermediate of and connecting a pair of the main sections, said hinge element having resilient catches integral therewith adapted to automatically spring into the said openings of the respective sections to detachably connect the contiguous sections of the link-unit.

2. In a chain or bracelet and the like of the general character described having main hollow section members detachably connected together by intermediate hinge elements, the combination with a longitudinal hollow end section having an aperture in its side wall, of a hinge, a member of said hinge provided with a catch adapted to spring into said aperture, a longitudinal fellow hollow end section having an opening in its wall, a laterally movable wing member jointed to said hinge adapted to enter the free end of the last-named hollow end section, and Clasping means integral with said laterally movable wing member of the hinge engageable with the opening of the lastnamed end section, for detachably connecting the ends of the band together.

In testimony whereof I have afiiXed my signature.

HENRY WOLCOTT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

